The present invention relates to a connector which securely prevents a terminal received in a terminal receiving chamber of a housing from coming out, and to a connecting structure using the connector.
A conventional connector of this kind includes a structure shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B (refer to Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 4-188579).
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a connector 100 is provided with a connector housing 101 and a double lock member 102. A latch arm 109 of the double lock member 102 moves downward in the drawing from a state shown in FIG. 1B and engages with an engaging shoulder portion 110 of the connector housing 101. Accordingly, the double lock member 102 is held by the connector housing 101.
Flexible lances 105 and 106, engaging with a terminal (not shown) so as to prevent the terminal from coming out, are projected into terminal receiving chambers 103 and 104 of the connector housing 101. Part portions 107 and 108 of the double lock member 102 when attached to the connector housing 101, are brought into contact with the lance 105 within the terminal receiving chambers 103 and 104 so as to restrict an elastic deformation thereof. Accordingly, the terminal is prevented from coming out of the terminal receiving chambers 103 and 104.
However, in the conventional connector 100, since the double lock member 102 is held to the connector housing 101 only by engagement between the latch arm 109 and the engaging shoulder portion 110, the double lock member 102 comes out from the connector housing 101 when the double lock member 102 is strongly pulled, so that there is a risk that the terminal will come out from the terminal receiving chamber. Particularly, in the case that the terminal is pulled in an inclined direction, the double lock member 102 easily comes out.